About a week ago, my wife Lisa and I sent out a letter about our upcoming trip to Haiti and how people could support us, both in prayer and financially. As great as a mission trip might sound, there is the sobering reality that you have to pay your own way. You need a flight, ground transportation, food and lodging while you’re there, translators, and you need to bring along medical supplies. Remember, we’re going some place where they basically have nothing, so you have to bring something.

As uncomfortable as raising support for a trip might be, it’s good to remember that many people who can’t or won’t go to various places can be a part of what is happening there through prayer, encouragement, and contributions. If their talents enable them to earn money that can be used for these efforts, that’s their part of the puzzle that makes these medical mission trips happen. What a great reminder that we’re not doing this alone, but we’re the church doing this together. We’re supposed to be dependent on each other, suffer together, rejoice together, worship together, and serve together.

(Having said that, if you’d like a copy of our letter, just respond with an email and I’ll be glad to send one along.)